Kickstarter

With 29 days to go, the fundraising is inching closer to the goal, but still a long way off from making this project a reality. I am applying for grants and seeking other routes in case this path doesn't work. I am determined to make this project happen someway or another.

For months, I have been doing a lot of research and setting up networks which constantly catch news about poverty in the U.S. to help me continue my research. Currently Alec Soth from Magnum Photos is spending time in Ohio for Magnum's "Looking for America" project. He has an interesting mini interview with "Gary" posted on the project's Tumblr site: http://magnumohio.tumblr.com/

Some additional reading that has recently been published can be found on Huffington Post. They ask, who is accountable for the poverty in the U.S. and hash over the differences in the political parties and who they blame... 

The Salvation Army just released it's Poverty Report it shows some shocking information about the perception of poverty by those farthest from it.

This next article is by author Barbara Ehrenreich. She talks about how the poor are often taken advantage of because they live in a constant state of need. All too often organizations, and now the government, are taking advantage of their needs by offering services (ie Pay Day Loans and income tax refund anticipation loans) which offer money to help an individual with their weekly needs with an agreement to quickly pay it back with a hefty interest rate or fee tacked on. In the end, after a person has finally been able to free them selves from such "services," these companies call relentlessly trying to get their customer back. Managers of such organizations are under heavy pressure to keep the customers coming back. In some cases, they employ embarrassing tactics to ensure people pay their dues on time, such as going to a neighbors house to inform them that money is owed by so and so. Mentioned in this article is also a book I read in preparation of this project titled "Broke USA: From Pawnshops to poverty inc, how the working poor became big business" by Gary Rivlin - it's a fantastic read, you can find it here on Amazon or maybe your local library.

One last article that recently came up is on Newswise - from Cornell University. It discusses the projected future of poverty growth based on the 2010 Census data.

If you're interested in reading some of the books and materials I've read and researched, here is a brief list:

William DiFazio - Ordinary Poverty: a little food and cold storage AMAZON
Gary Rivlin - Broke USA: From Pawnshops to poverty inc, how the working poor became big business AMAZON
Michael L Gillette - Launching the War on Poverty: An Oral History AMAZON
Bruce Davidson and Mildred Feliciano - East 100th Street AMAZON
Anne Whiston Spirn - Daring to Look: Dorthea Lange's Photographs and Reports from the Field AMAZON

Please continue spreading the word about this project! I need your help to make this possible. 
- Jason